York Woman Urges Others To Do Three Peaks for British Heart Foundation

Last July, a 32-year-old Barclays employee from York and a group of colleagues took a stand against heart disease by conquering 24 miles of hiking in 12 hours across the Yorkshire Peaks. Now, the team is urging other walkers in the region to do their bit to support the nation’s heart charity by taking on the British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge on Saturday 19 July.

Jodi Rao, who works in Barclays Corporate Banking , decided to enter the event to give back to the charity for its contribution to the advancements in heart health that allowed her father to undergo a quadruple heart bypass.

Jodi who trekked with colleagues Dana Rao, Mark Elsden, Mark Lamb and Mike France said: “The British Heart Foundation is a fantastic charity and one very close to my heart. I am convinced that it is thanks to the research they fund, that we have seen such improvements in the treatment for heart patients.”

Jodie said: “The whole experience was challenging. We were faced with typical Yorkshire weather - sun one minute and rain showers the next, but when we reached the end we felt a real sense of achievement. I would recommend everyone to take on this challenge and by having a group of friends around you it will make the day more fun and keep you motivated enabling you to raise even more funds for the BHF.”

Coronary heart disease is the UK’s single biggest killer claiming over 7,000 lives a year in Yorkshire and The Humber alone. A further 218,000 people are living with the disease in the region. The BHF funds hundreds of pioneering research projects every year across the UK to put an end to the suffering that this disease causes and it is through the fundraising of its supporters that the charity is able to continue its life-saving work.

Jodi and the Barclays team raised £3000 for their efforts which includes match giving courtesy of Barclays , who regularly encourage their staff to take on fundraising challenges. The team are now considering taking on the National Three Peaks Challenge this year.

Entry for this fantastic trek on the 19th July is £30 and purely covers the cost of running the event. The challenge starts in Horton on Ribblesdale and covers 24 miles and 3000ft of climbing. The first peak, Pen-y-Ghent provides great views of the peaks to come, continuing on towards Whernside to take in the grandeur of Ribblehead Viaduct and then onto Ingleborough for the final ascent.

Join the fight for every heartbeat today and call the events team to register on 0845 130 8663 or visit bhf.org.uk/Y3P. Alternatively, you can also email the events team on events@bhf.org.uk